Package for collated elements and a guide attachment therefor

ABSTRACT

A device is provided which is adapted to facilitate feed out of elongated collated elements from a container. The device is adapted to be removably mounted on the open end of the container and is provided with an elongated panel which is inserted between one side wall of the container and the ends of the collated elements. Overlying the open top of the container and extending convergently upwardly therefrom is a pair of guide members which are secured to the panel. The upper ends of the guide members are spaced apart and form a discharge port through which each collated element passes upon being fed out from the container.

United States Patent Perkins et al.

[54] PACKAGE FOR COLLATED ELEMENTS AND A GUIDE ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Inventors: Garry .R. Perkins; James K. Goode,

Jr., both of Cary, lll.

Assignee: Spotnails, lnc., Rolling Meadows,

Filed: July 20, 1970 Appl. No.: 56,419

US. Cl ..3l2/73, 206/56 DF Int. Cl ..A47f l/00, B65d 83/02, B65d 83/04 Field of Search..3l2/7l, 73; 206/56 AC, 56 DF,

[151 3,684,339 [451 Aug. 15, 1972 Langas et al ..-...3l2/73 Howard ..3l2/73 57 ABSTRACT A device is provided which is adapted to facilitate feed out of elongated collated elements from a container. The device is adapted to be removably mounted on the open end of the container and is provided with an elongated panel which is inserted between one side wall of the container and the ends of the collated elements. Overlying the open top of the container and extending convergently upwardly therefrom is a pair of guide members which are secured to the panel. The upper ends of the guide members are spaced apart and form a discharge port through which each collated element passes upon being fed out from the container.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PACKAGE FOR COLLATED ELEMENTS AND A GUIDE ATTACHMENT THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In various industries utilizing high speed power tools to secure together various structural modules, a problem commonly occurs in supplying and feeding to the tools the required fasteners at such a rate that said tools can operate for prolong periods of time at optimim efficiency. Where, for example, the fasteners are nails, it is customary for a plurality of the nails to be collated so as to form a pliable ribbon. In such a ribbon, the shanks of the fasteners are disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation with the pointed ends of the fasteners facing in one direction. The pliable ribbon of collated nails is normally packaged in a suitable receptacle or canister and the ribbon consists of several hundred or even a thousand fasteners. Where, however, the operation of the tool is at high speed (e.g. 9,600 fasteners per hour), frequent reloading of the tool is required, if it is operated for prolong periods of time. Reloading of the tool is often an awkward and frustrating manipulation seriously reducing the operating efiiciency of the tool. In addition, there is a problem of maintaining an adequate inventory of the canisters at the job site.

In operating high speed tools, it is essential that the fasteners be fed to the tool in a smooth, uninterrupted manner, notwithstanding the relative position of the tool with respect to the source of supply of the fasteners. Heretofore, where the canister or receptacle containing the collated fasteners was formed of paperboard or the like, the feeding of the collated fasteners therefrom frequently became non-uniform because the fasteners would become jammed therein, or the pointed ends of the fasteners would become snagged on the walls of the canister or receptacle. Furthermore, the feed'out of the collated fasteners from such canisters or receptacles was required to be in one direction only, thereby requiring the tool to be disposed at a predetermined relative position with respect to said canister or receptacle. As a result of the predetermined relative positions of the tool and canister or receptacle, the utility of the tool was oftentimes seriously curtailed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a feed system for high speed tools which is not beset with the aforenoted shortcomings.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a feed system wherein substantially an all-day supply of collated fasteners can be accommodated in a single container of paperboard or the like and the fasteners can be fed out therefrom as required in a smooth uninterrupted manner.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive device which may be readily attached to the open top of a container of collated fasteners and thereby greatly facilitate feed-out therefrom of the collated fasteners.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a device which may be readily mounted on various containers of collated fasteners and is adapted to readily guide collated fasteners of various types upon their being fed-out from the containers.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, yet sturdy package for collated fasteners which may be readily used in combination with a high speed fastener driving too].

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a feed system for collated fasteners or the like is provided which comprises an open top container in which is disposed a pliable ribbon of collated fasteners arranged so as to form a plurality of overlapping folds having oppositely disposed bends and with the leading end of each fastener disposed adjacent the interior surface of one wall of the container.

Removably mounted on the container open top is a device which includes an elongated panel disposed between the leading ends of, the fasteners and the interior surface of the adjacent one wall of the container. The upper end portion of the panel projects upwardly from the container open topand has mounted thereon a pair of transversely extending guide members. The guide members overlie the container open top and extend convergently upwardly therefrom. The upper ends of the guide members are spaced apart and form a discharge port through which each collated fastener passes upon being 'fed out from the container. The device is provided with attaching means for frictionally engaging the portion of the container circumjacent the open top.

, DESCRIPTION For a more complete understanding of the invention reference should be made to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of a high speed fastener driving tool showing a continuous ribbon of collated fasteners being fed thereto directly from the open top of a container to which a guide device has been attached. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one form of an improved container for collated fasteners having a removable flap shown in place on one end wall of the container and with the guide device attached to the open top of the container.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing a ribbon of collated fasteners being fed out through the guide device and with the flap beingremoved from the end wall of the container and with one of the wedge-shaped inserts disposed within the container shown being expelled through the opening in the end wall.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partially in vertical section, of the container with guide device attached thereto as shown in FIGS.

FIG. 5 is a perspective end view of the container of collated fasteners shown in closed condition ready to be transported to a job site.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one form of the guide device shown in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are fragmentary elevational views of opposite ends of the device shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, a high speed fastener driving tool 10 is shown which is provided with a nose section 11 from which a fastener 12 is discharged into a structural module, not shown, upon firing of the tool. The fasteners 12, as il- Ser. No. 868,375 filed Oct. 22, 1969 so as to form a pli- I able ribbon or strip 13. The manner of collating the fasteners forms no part of the present invention except that the shanks 12c thereof should be disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation with all of the pointed ends 12a thereof facing in a given direction. Furthermore, the ribbon 13 should be sufficiently pliable that it may form within the container C a plurality of folds having the ends thereof forming loops L facing in opposite directions, see FIGS. 3 and 4.

Tool is provided with a feed attachment A which cooperates with the indexing mechanism 14 for the nose section 11. The attachment A and tool 10 are illustrated for purposes of facilitating understanding of the present invention.

Container C, see FIGS. 2-5, is preferably formed of paperboard, such as double-faced corrugated board, and in one form comprises a pair of broad side walls 14, narrow end walls 15 foldably interconnecting corresponding edges of the side walls, a bottom 16, and a plurality of closure flaps 17 which are foldably connected to the upper edges of walls 14 and 15 and, when folded, form a closed top 18 and, when unfolded, form an open top.

In the container C, shown in FIGS. 2 and 5,. one end wall 15 is provided with an elongated tear-out flap F, which may be readily removed therefrom when the ribbon 13 is to be fed out of the open top 18. The upper end of flap F terminates in one of the closure flaps l7 and, when the closure flaps are unfolded, serves as a pull tab to facilitate removing of the flap from the end wall. The flap may be defined by weakened (perforated) scorelines or cut scorelines S or by some tear strip, not shown.

When the flap F is removed, a large elongated opening 20 is formed in the end wall, thereby exposing one set of loops L adjacent the opening. As seen in FIG. 3, in addition to the loops being exposed, there is exposed the ends of a plurality of elongated wedge-shaped inserts 21. The inserts 21 are provided to compensate for the slant which the shanks 120 of the collated fasteners would assume by reason of the contact between the enlarged heads 12b formed at the trailing ends of the collated fasteners. The inserts serve to prevent interlocking or jamming of the fasteners and to prevent undue shifting of the fasteners within the container during transporting of said container to the job site or the like. The length of each insert corresponds substantially to the spacing between the end walls 15. The wide elongated edge 21a of each insert 21 is disposed adjacent the leading ends 120 of the fasteners. The narrow elongated edge 21b, on the other hand, is disposed adjacent the heads 21!) of the fasteners. The inserts 21 may be formed of folded paperboard or any other suitable inexpensive material.

During loading of the container C with the collated fasteners, a bottom insert, not shown, is placed on the bottom surface prior to the bottom fold of the pliable ribbon being formed. After the bottom insert has been placed in position and a predetermined number of folds have been formed, a second insert is placed within the container C. By way of example, the insert 21 may be placed within the container so as to segregate the fasteners into groups of approximately 1,000 nails each.

In placing the second and all subsequent inserts in the container, it is important that each insert have an end thereof which is exposed to the interior surface of the end wall flap F. Because of this arrangement, each of the inserts, except for the bottom one, will automatically and successively be ejected out through the opening 20 formed in the end wall 15 as the ribbon of collated fasteners is drawn out through the open top of the container.

To facilitate smooth uninterrupted removal of the fasteners from the container C, a guide device or hoodlike member 22 is provided which is adapted to be removably positioned on the open top of the container. The device 22 may be formed of sheet metal or like material and includes an elongated panel 23 which is adapted to be inserted into the open top of the container and positioned between one of the side walls 14 and the adjacent pointed ends of the collated fasteners 12. The broad surfaces of panel 23 are hardened and smooth and the bottom end portion thereof has chamfered corners so that the panel may be readily inserted into position. Furthermore, it is important that the pointed ends 12a of the fasteners 12 do not penetrate or become snagged on the panel surface. The width W of the panel 23 should closely approximate the distance between the end walls 15 of the container C. The upper portion of the panel 23, when the latter is in place, projects above the open top of the container. Extending transversely from the upper portion of the panel is a pair of guide panels or members 24 and 25. The members overlie the container open top and extend convergently upwardly therefrom, see FIGS. 1-3. The lower edge portion 240 or 250 of each member is disposed adjacent the upper edge of the corresponding end wall 15 of the container C. The upper end portions 24b and 25b of the guide members 24 and 25 are spaced from one another and outwardly flared in opposite directions so as to form a discharge port P, see FIG. 2. The port is sized so as to permit the ribbon of fasteners to readily pass therethrough, see FIG. 3. The flaring of the upper end portions of the guide members permits the pliable ribbon of fasteners to bend abruptly, if required, without difiiculty subsequent to passing through the port. The direction the ribbon follows upon leaving the discharge port P will depend upon the relative position of the tool. 10 with respect to the location of container C.

If desired, the upper end portions of the guide members may be flared downwardly and then outwardly, not shown, so that the upper edges of the members would not be exposed.

In order to retain the device 22 in position on the open top of the container, one or more clamping units 26 and 27 may be provided. Unit 26 is formed of strap material shaped into an inverted U configuration. The central portion 26a of the U-shaped unit is secured to the lower portion of the guide member 24 by spot welding, rivets, screws, or the like. The length of the central portion 26a is slightly greater than the width of guide member 24 and also greater than the distance between the exposed surfaces of the container side walls 14, see FIGS. 5 and 6. At one end of central portion 26a is a depending leg portion 26b which is adapted to frictionally engage the exposed surface of one of the side walls, or in instances where the closure flaps have been folded back over the side walls, to frictionally engage one of said flaps. A depending leg portion 260 projects from the opposite end of the central portion 260 and is spaced outwardly from the outer surface of panel 23. The portion 260 cooperates with panel 23 so as to frictionally engage the upper edge of side wall 14 or the side wall and a folded back closure flap l7.

Clamping unit 27 is an inverted channel-like member formed of spring metal or the like. Unit 27 subtends the lower edge 25a of member 25 and is adapted to frictionally engage the upper edge of end wall 15, or end wall 15 and the folded back closure flap connected thereto, whichever the case may be. Various other clamping means may be utilized in place of those shown in order to'retain the guide device 22 in position on the open top of the container. Furthermore, the size and shape of the container may vary from that shown in which case the dimensions of the guide device will be changed accordingly.

Thus, it will be seen that a feed system for a high speed fastener-driving tool has been provided which permits the collated fasteners to be readily fed to the tool in a smooth, uninterrupted manner, as required. The improved fastener-feed system permits greater operating efficiency for a high speed driving tool over a prolong period of time. Furthermore, the improved fastener-feed system facilitates the packaging of a large number of collated fasteners and prevents the disarray of the accommodated fasteners during handling of the fastener package.

We claim:

1. A combination of a container accommodating a pliable elongated ribbon formed. of a plurality of collated elongated elements arranged in spaced substantially parallel relation, said container having a pair of side walls disposed in spaced substantially parallel rela tion and a pair of spaced substantially parallel end walls interconnecting corresponding edge portions of said side walls, said side and end walls delimiting an open top, a corresponding end of each collated element being disposed adjacent to the interior of one side wall; and a device removably mounted on the container open top, said device including an elongated panel slidably disposed intermediate said one side wall and the adjacent corresponding ends of the collated elements, said panel extending above said container open top, a pair of elongated guide members mounted on and extending transversely from the upper portion of said panel, said guide members overlying and extending convergently upwardly from said open top, the lower ends of said guide members being disposed adjacent the upper edges of said end walls and the upper ends of said guide members being in spaced relation and defining a discharge port through which each collated element is adapted to pass upon being fed from said container, and means mounted on one of said guide members and frictionally engaging the upper end portion of salg. fii e ii i'iibination of claim 1 wherein the means of said device includes a protruding first element mounted on one guide member and frictionally engaging a portion of the container open top and a protruding second element disposed adjacent the lower edge of said other guide member and frictionally engaging a second portion of the container open top.

3. The combination of claim I wherein one end wall of said container is provided with an elongated tear-out flap terminating at the upper end of said container, said flap, when removed, forming an elongated opening in said one end wall whereby the accommodated collated elements are exposed.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said tear-out flap is substantially delimited by weakening scores formed in said one end wall.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein the collated elements comprise elongated fasteners, each having a pointed leading end disposed adjacent said device panel and an enlarged trailing end; said pliable elongated ribbon being disposed within said container and forming therein a plurality of overlying folds having oppositely disposed bends; an elongated insert disposed intermediate the bottom of said container and the bottom fold of said pliable ribbon; said insert having a substantially wedge-shaped cross section with the narrow face thereof disposed adjacent the trailing ends of said collated fasteners and the wide face thereof disposed adjacent the leading ends of said collated fasteners.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said tear-out flap is removed from the container one end wall and additional elongated wedge-shaped inserts are interposed between predetermined folds of the accommodated pliable ribbon; each additional insert being automatically expelled endwise out through the opening formed in the container one end wall upon successive folds of the pliable ribbon being unfolded and fed out through the discharge port. 

1. A combination of a container accommodating a pliable elongated ribbon formed of a plurality of collated elongated elements arranged in spaced substantially parallel relation, said container having a pair of side walls disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation and a pair of spaced substantially parallel end walls interconnecting corresponding edge portions of said side walls, said side and end walls delimiting an open top, a corresponding end of each collated element being disposed adjacent to the interior of one side wall; and a device removably mounted on the container open top, said device including an elongated panel slidably disposed intermediate said one side wall and the adjacent corresponding ends of the collated elements, said panel extending above said container open top, a pair of elongated guide members mounted on and extending transversely from the upper portion of said panel, said guide members overlying and extending convergently upwardly from said open top, the lower ends of said guide members being disposed adjacent the upper edges of said end walls and the upper ends of said guide members being in spaced relation and defining a discharge port through which each collated element is adapted to pass upon being fed from said container, and means mounted on one of said guide members and frictionally engaging the upper end portion of said container.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the means of said device includes a protruding first element mounted on one guide member and frictionally engaging a portion of the container open top and a protruding second element disposed adjacent the lower edge of said other guide member and frictionally engaging a second portion of the container open top.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein one end wall of said container is provided with an elongated tear-out flap terminating at the upper end of said container, said flap, when removed, forming an elongated opening in said one end wall whereby the accommodated collated elements are exposed.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said tear-out flap is substantially delimited by weakening scores formed in said one end wall.
 5. The combination of claim 3 wherein the collated elements comprise elongated fasteners, each having a pointed leading end disposed adjacent said device panel and an enlarged trailing end; said pliable elongated ribbon being disposed within said container and forming therein a plurality of overlying folds having oppositely disposed bends; an elongated insert disposed intermediate the bottom of said container and the bottom fold of said pliable ribbon; said insert having a substantially wedge-shaped cross section with the narrow face thereof disposed adjacent the trailing ends of said collated fasteners and the wide face thereof disposed adjacent the leading ends of said collated fasteners.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said tear-out flap is removed from the container one end wall and additional elongated wedge-shaped inserts are interposed between predetermined folds of the accommodated pliable ribbon; each additional insert being automatically expelled endwise out through the opening formed in the container one end wall upon successive folds of the pliable ribbon being unfolded and fed out through the discharge port. 